2-11-2026 1:16pm

Gunfire During ICE Operation in Roxbury

Chris Connors Editor

ICE agent fired gun during Roxbury arrest attempt; NJ Attorney General opens independent investigation as residents cite video and demand answers

A firearm discharge during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Roxbury Township on Feb. 10 is now under independent review by New Jersey’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, with state officials asking the public to share any video as residents question federal accounts and call for transparency.

ROXBURY, NJ - A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer discharged a firearm during a Tuesday morning, Feb. 10, 2026, enforcement operation in Roxbury Township, prompting an independent investigation by New Jersey’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said. No injuries were reported, and the target of the operation, identified by federal officials as Jesus Fabian Lopez-Banegas, was taken into ICE custody, according to multiple reports.

The core factual dispute, at least publicly, is not whether a gun was fired, but what immediately preceded it. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, said agents were attempting a “targeted” arrest when the suspect tried to evade capture, rammed a law enforcement vehicle, and “weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run an officer over,” leading an officer to fire at the vehicle’s tires.

But circulating video clips referenced by multiple outlets do not appear to show the full sequence DHS describes, including the alleged moment when a vehicle was used to try to run over an officer. That gap has become central to how residents are processing what happened and why state officials have emphasized collecting additional footage before drawing conclusions.

What officials say happened

DHS said ICE agents were attempting to arrest Lopez-Banegas, described by the agency as a Honduran national with a prior removal order and a criminal history that includes drug trafficking charges, drug possession, and driving under the influence. DHS said a judge ordered his removal in 2021.

In the DHS account, the confrontation escalated when Lopez-Banegas allegedly used a vehicle to strike a law enforcement vehicle and then attempted to run over an officer. DHS said an officer responded by firing at the tires to stop the vehicle. In a statement, DHS said, “Following his training, the officer defensively used his firearm and shot out the tires of the vehicle to stop the threat.”

What’s known about the location and video

Morristown Green reported the incident occurred on Kings Road in Roxbury’s Landing section on Tuesday morning, and that News 12 aired a motorist’s video showing a man exiting a pickup truck while another man in plainclothes points a gun at him near an unmarked sedan.

Patch separately reported that Roxbury police closed Landing Road from Shippenport Road to Lakeside Boulevard around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. However, it remains unclear how that road closure lines up with the exact point where the firearm was discharged.

NJ101.5, which also referenced a widely shared clip, reported that the video “does not clearly show” the moment federal officials say the vehicle was used to try to run over an officer.

The investigation and what OPIA does next

Davenport said Tuesday evening that local law enforcement secured the scene “with the cooperation of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and Morris County Sheriff’s Office,” and that OPIA is conducting an independent investigation. In her statement, she said:

“We are actively investigating an incident involving ICE ERO (Enforcement and Removal Operations) in which a firearm was discharged in Roxbury Township earlier today. There are no known injuries. Local law enforcement secured the scene with the cooperation of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and Morris County Sheriff’s Office, and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability is conducting an independent investigation," Davenport said.

Davenport asked anyone with video or relevant information to contact OPIA at 1-844-OPIA-TIP (1-844-674-2847).

State involvement is standard practice in New Jersey when a law enforcement officer fires a weapon. However, the Roxbury case has added complexity because the shooter was a federal officer operating in a local community. Early public information has come largely through federal statements and partial video.

Community reaction: “I wish I could say that I believed our government officials…”

The incident quickly spilled into a larger debate in Roxbury and across Morris County about the visibility and accountability of ICE operations.

A public meeting held in Morris County on Tuesday night drew residents who spoke out against ICE and urged a full investigation.

At that meeting, resident Sharon Medina said, “I was born here, but I'm still nervous. It does not go by me every day to think that I could be stopped.”

Another resident, Diana May, referenced the video that had circulated earlier that day and linked her skepticism to other recent, high-profile enforcement incidents elsewhere.

“I saw a video earlier today where the gentleman was not in a car, and there was a gun drawn facing him in the street in our area,” May said. She later added, “I wish I could say that I believed our government officials, but I no longer do, because we heard these same things with Renee Good and with Alex Pretti in Minnesota, and they're not true.”

There has been heightened scrutiny around federal immigration tactics in the region, with backlash tied to the Minneapolis deaths referenced by Morris County residents Tuesday night and recent ICE activity near the Hoboken and Jersey City border.

The wider Roxbury backdrop: proposed detention facility, and why this incident hit a nerve

The Roxbury shooting investigation is unfolding against an already tense local backdrop: the township has been at the center of public debate over reports that the Trump administration is considering converting an industrial warehouse on Route 46 into an ICE detention or processing facility.

News 12 reported that a Route 46 warehouse is reportedly being considered for a facility, and quoted Roxbury Deputy Mayor Mark Crowley saying the township opposes the idea and has struggled to get direct responses when communicating with DHS.

Separate reporting by NJ101.5 earlier this year described the council’s efforts to formally oppose a proposed facility amid limited information, with residents and local officials pressing for clarity from federal authorities.

That context matters because it helps explain why a single use-of-force incident, even with no reported injuries, has become a flashpoint. For many residents, it is not just about one arrest but about what ICE presence could look like in a town already bracing for a possible expansion of federal detention operations nearby.

What’s still unanswered

As of Wednesday, Feb. 11, key questions remain unresolved in public reporting:

Exactly what happened in the seconds before the gun was fired? DHS asserts the officer fired to stop a vehicle-based threat, while multiple outlets note that circulating video does not conclusively show that alleged moment.
How many shots were fired, and from what position? Officials have not confirmed the number of shots.
Does additional video exist that captures the full encounter? AG Davenport is urging witnesses to submit footage to investigators.

For now, the most concrete, agreed-upon points across sources are that an ICE officer discharged a firearm during a Roxbury operation on Feb. 10, no injuries were reported, the target of the operation was arrested, and New Jersey has opened an independent investigation while urging the public to provide video.